"Find Me" by Carla Kovach

I’ll never forget that day. It was blisteringly hot, and I begged our mother for an ice cream. As we left you with Dad, I didn’t know it would be the last time I saw your face. Minutes later, we returned to the end of the pier where we had parked your pushchair. Dad was asleep on a bench, and your little pink blanket was empty. You had vanished.

Twenty-five years later. The morning of the anniversary of Jess’s disappearance starts like every other for her sister Kate – a rushed school run, a cold cup of coffee and a quick scan of the news for updates. But when her phone beeps with a message from an unknown number, everything changes.

I know what happened to Jess.

Finally, Kate’s a step closer to getting answers to the questions that have tormented her for so long. Why was her mother so angry that day? How did her father sleep through his own daughter’s abduction? And when the police car came screeching towards the pier, how is it that nobody saw a single thing?

As she drives her young family to the seaside town to meet the mystery messenger, she feels uneasy. Who are they and why did they reach out now? But before Kate finds out, history repeats itself and her world is turned upside down once more.

Then Kate receives one final, terrifying message… will her pursuit of the truth cost the lives of everyone she has ever loved?

This completely unputdownable psychological thriller will have you hooked from the very first page. Perfect for fans of Gone Girl, The Girl on the Train and The Wife Between Us.

This is not my first book by this author. I accidently stumbled upon Carla Kovach's Gina Harte series back in 2020 and fell in love with the author's writing style. I saw that she had a new mystery/thriller being released and was so excited to get my hands on a copy! To read other reviews I've published on her books just pop her name in the search bar at the top of the page. 

It's been 25 years since Baby Jess has disappeared and been presumed dead on an outing to a seaside town with her family. Her older sister, Kate, has never forgotten and makes sure the world remembers by keeping a vigil via online social media pages dedicated to her sister. Kate is now a mother herself and the events from that day have molded the way she parents her own daughters. She is overprotective to the point that it is starting to affect her marriage. 

She's also obsessed with finding more information about the day that Jess disappeared, another issue that plagues her marriage. The family decides to plan a holiday to the small seaside town to have a ceremony of remembrance and, hopefully for Kate, get some closure about her sister. It's also the perfect cover up to the fact that Kate got a message that someone knows something about Jess's disappearance. 

There were so many characters in this book that it was hard to keep track of who was who and where they fit into the story. Because this is a mystery, the characters are important and knowing who each one is and how they contribute to this town is vital. Then there is Kate, the main character. She's horribly annoying. I honestly couldn't stand her. I found it hard to believe she was a wife and mother because she acted like a teenager who was impulsive and had no common sense. 

The overall premise of this thriller was amazing and I really enjoyed it. The writing style was easy to read and it did keep me engaged. I loved the setting and imagined it as a Doc Martin (the PBS show) type town. I just became exhausted with Kate's behavior and overwhelmed trying to keep up with the residents. The ending was a twist and I was surprised with how it played out. The epilogue wasn't what I wanted, but we can't always get what we want!

"Find Me" is set to be released here in the U.S. on July 14, 2022 so preorder now to start reading tomorrow! 

Thanks to Netgalley and Bookouture for allowing me an eARC to read and give my honest review. It was a 3.5 star read! 

Happy Reading!